This is a Rose?
by TrekChronicles
Summary: Sarek brings Amanda a gift that is beautiful but something is very wrong with it.


Disclaimer: If God intended me to own Star Trek I would be rich. Instead he gives me the ideas to play with Paramounts toysthat I do so with no gainexcept for the satisfaction of helping characters live and breathe in my own eyes. The characters contained here-in are the brain children of Gene Rodenberry, whom I am indebted for spicing my life. Copyright: 2003 Bobbie Geordt

This is a Rose? 

The punchy human, smiled at Sarek, "These I promise will grow any where." His dark eyes twinkled as he moved the small seedlings across the counter.

Sarek, found the human to be quite fascinating; he noted the man had a gift for talk. Amanda would say he could sell light to a blind man. "Am I to assume, you are going to guarantee they will grow?" He looked at the tiny plants, they were large enough to have stems and a few leaves, but had yet to bud. The tiny thorns could be felt, as he  
brushed a finger up the stem. Even the leaves held the look and texture of the plant it was claimed to be.

"Watch, Vulcan and you will see." He set one of the seedlings in a casing. As he turned a few dials, the interior when from a clear to the bright orange that would simulate the Vulcan sun.

Sarek watched as the heat rose to that of Vulcan midsummer. Slowly, the tiny buds opened their eyes. His eyes were drawn to the colors; he had never before seen a rose that held these colors. The bottom, a brilliant red, merged into a pure white, with tips that looked as though they had been dipped in metallic blue. "How much water will they require?"

"No more that an inch a season." He told him as he turned from the casing to the Vulcan. He knew he was close; this Vulcan was soon to be hooked.

After studying the seedlings Sarek focused on the plant in the casing, it should no sign of withering. It appeared quite interestingly enough to thrive on the heat and color of its environment. Finally satisfied, he looked gazes with the seller, he  
asked, "To whom do I transfer the credits for the lot?" He would buy all eighteen of these beautiful plants; Amanda was sure to find enjoyment out of them.

"Harry, Harry Mudd," he said with an egotistical smile.

The high price that this Mr. Mudd wanted was steep, the sum of 2500 credits per plant. However, for Sarek, it would be worth all 45,000 credits to see the smile on Amanda's face.

Harry was careful to turn the casing off and, save that seedling for last to be packed away.

~-~

Sarek had arrived back on Vulcan from Altar 7 well after Amanda had gone to sleep. Using just enough lighting, he set out and planted each of the tiny seedlings. He arranged them in the pattern of the IDIC, using four for the inner circle, and eight for the outer. The triangle shared its form with two plants from both inner and outer  
circles, also had four plants of its own. The tip set inside the circle was made up of one seedling; the outer edge line was made up of three. Pleased with his work he walked into his home, into his room, and readied for bed.

~-~

Amanda awoke early, to see her husband sleeping beside her; she smiled, remembering he had just returned home only hours before. She touched her cheek were his soft lips had brushed her. Getting out of the bed, she just had to see what surprise Sarek intended for her. Grabbing her silk robe, she made her way to the garden, everything looked normal, nothing out of place. However, when she stepped  
further inwards, her eyes beheld the new symbol and the tiny plants that made it up. Only a single bush had a blossom, the tip of the triangle show the beauty of red, white, and blue. Bending down she studied the plant, a rose!! Here on Vulcan there was a rose. Everything was there thorns, leaves even the delicate peddles. Its  
scent, she inhaled deeply, what was that scent?

~-~

She awaited her husband's awakening patiently, watching out the window, as the buds blossomed, filling the design fully. She still couldn't get over how near perfect they were. Just that scent, what was that scent.

"Amanda," she heard his familiar voice call her.

With a gentle smile she turned, holding up two fingers to him. "Oh, Sarek, their beautiful." She tried not to let the...'but' be heard in her voice.

He looked out to see 87 buds had turned to blossoms. "There are pleasing to look at my Wife." HE reached for the door that would take them out to the garden.

"NO!" She said, placing her hand over his. "No, please their scent is overwhelming. I am sure you would find it quite...distasteful."

He raised a brow as he opened the door ever so slightly only to slam it shout seconds later. "That is not possible, there most be something out there?"

"No, Sarek, I looked...we've had that happen before...but I could always find the intruder...No Sarek, it's the blossoms. As the heat rose so did their scent." She shook her head, "How can something so beautiful, smell like that?"

"I do not know," his control now tightly in place. He had been cheated. The roses he had so thoughtfully bought for his wife now smelled like decaying flesh.

Strange he did not remember this smell earlier. However, the plant, which had bloomed in the casing, had closed into itself once again, at the time of his purchase. The thought came to him the heat, the sun, they had caused this. At night, he could hopefully, remove the plants. Boxed up in their original container he could take them to the Vulcan Science Academy to their DNA analyzed, somehow he would be  
rid of their stench.

The plants, themselves were highly pleasing, and set off the hole in their garden. Yet, it was not so pleasing to view flowers behind glass; flowers were meant to be smelled, but this profound order was too much to bear. No doubt, it was an aroma, which traveled beyond the garden walls.

The End


End file.
